South Carolina Gamecocks Football – Money Factor
The standard for SEC coaches pay days is very high. At the end of the 2013 college football
season South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier became the latest in the
conference to join the $4 million club. This latest contract extension could see the now 69-year
old coach South Carolina until 2018. Anytime big money is handed out, the question is
ultimately asked as to whether that money was well spent. In a climate where top college
coaches are making stupendous amounts of dollar, make no mistake that Spurrier’s latest raise
is quite possibly one of the best bargains in the nation.
Spurrier’s nine-year reign at South Carolina is almost unrecognisable when compared to his
tenure at Florida. Only one thing clearly links the two: winning. Spurrier’s Gators were dominant
in SEC play winning six conference championships and also picking up a national title. Big
name recruits regularly enabled Florida to field a powerful offense that racked up the points.
The Gamecocks haven’t been able to emulate the championships or that style of play, but this
program’s progress and achievements during Spurrier’s reign are just as impressive. His team’s
now rely on a heavy running game, strong play in both red zones and a tough, effective
defense. The formula has been working pretty well.
There are just four teams who have picked up 11 wins in each of the past three seasons.
Household names the Alabama Crimson Tide, Oregon Ducks and Stanford Cardinals lead that
charge. The fourth team is South Carolina. Three years ago they reached the SEC
championship game as East division champions thanks to a 9-5 record. This is a program that
has gotten used to success. They finished fourth in the BCS rankings, the school’s highest ever,
and overcame the Wisconsin Badgers in the Capitol One Bowl sealing a third straight
postseason victory.
Spurrier’s new payday puts him 12th on the current list of highest paid college football coaches.
Significant raises were also handed down to his support staff as the Gamecocks made the
decision to seriously invest in their staff. The school is clearly hungry for more success.
College sports work very differently compared with the professional game. Success is based
less on acquiring and keeping high quality players and more about developing highly successful
systems for recruiting and also in terms of playing style. The greatest colleges virtually all
possess long established identities that they re-affirm each year.
A crucial part of that identity is building around a coaching staff. The stability offered by
Spurrier’s tenure cannot be under-estimated. Some may view his coaching career as being in its
final few years, but those final few years could prove absolutely vital for the Gamecocks and
their hopes of establishing even longer-term success.
The investment in Spurrier now could signify a crucial period in this college’s history. The
success achieved over the past three seasons could hardly have been predicted. However,
building even longer-term success will not be any easier. All the signs suggest that Spurrier is
very much up for taking on that challenge. South Carolina fans should be extremely pleased
that the college has committed to that heavy financial cost both for the short and long term.
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